Seven Al Qiyadah sect members in Sidoarjo arrested

Sidoarjo, NU Online
Sidoarjo police have arrested seven Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah sect members, five of whom are residents of Waru sub district and two residents of Sidoarjo town.

One of the arrested sect followers is secretary of the Kereksari village administration in Waru sub district and another a teacher at a public junior high-school at Gedangan.<>

Until Friday afternoon , the seven were still being questioned at the Sidoarjo police headquarters.

Adj Senior Comm Adnan, chief of the Sidoarjo resort police, when contacted by cell-phone, confirmed the arrest of the seven Sidoarjo residents.

As reported by Antara news agency, among the arrestees was the secretary of the Kureksari village administration, identified as Ari Cahyono (34). The four other Waru sub district resdents picked up by police were Samsul Bakri (35), Komarudin (31), Imam Fauzi (20) dan Wahyu Hidayat (25).

Kureksari village chief Mujiono said he had repeatedly warned Ari Cahyono to stop being involved in Al Qiyadah activity but Ari did not listen.

In Sidoarjo town, police detained a couple, Sumarsono alias Harsono (41), and his wife, Sri Asmawati (40), residents of Kismadani housing complex in Bluru Kidul village.

After being questioned at a Sidoarjo police precinct, the couple were sent to the Sidoarjo sub district administration office for a talk with Sub District Chief Kusbani and related local authorities.

Sri Asmawati, who proved to be a teacher at a state junior high-school at Gedangan, tried to forbid reporters to cover the meeting at the sub district administration office.

"If the couple do not come to their senses and refuse to renounce their errant beliefs, we will continue to detain them," said Adj Comm Purwito, chief of the Sidoarjo police sector. (dar)